


Wish For You

by bookworm116



Category: Hey Arnold
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-08-09 21:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7818478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm116/pseuds/bookworm116
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helga's going through a divorce, and through some miraculous turn of fate, she meets her one true love once again, her Football Head.</p><p>After Arnold leaves for San Lorenzo on some do-goody quest with his newfound parents, Helga G Pataki waits around for a couple hundred years for him to come back. She's scared to send him letters though. What if he misreads and thinks she actually LIKES him? <br/>Nope. Can't let that happen.<br/>Some things happen, however, that Helga would rather leave in the past. Now she has a child she has to raise.<br/>And then Arnold comes back. Suddenly. Out of nowhere. Arnold starts asking about the past.<br/>Things she wants to be forgotten. <br/>He's friends with her kid. <br/>He's friends with everyone.<br/>Helga absolutely despises him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. So you're back

**Author's Note:**

> .....And i'm going to use the name Anna again, because i like that as a name for one of Helga's kids.... If she ever had one
> 
> Haha ok enjoy the first crappy installment, I've written this over the course of a few years so I promise the writing gets a little better.

Helga put her head in her hands.

Anna kept tugging on her arm.

"Mommy, i want ice creaaam...."

"Not right now, Anna."

Anna was her daughter, 5 years old. 

Usually she was pretty cute, but right now Helga had other things on her mind and her daughter's whiny voice was grating on her last nerve.

Helga had gotten the divorce papers today.

The papers made it feel so... final. Her husband had moved out, and she wasn't going to miss him.

The only person Helga really missed was, well...

"Hey, Helga."

Helga raised her head in shock at the voice she knew so well.

"FOOTBALL HEAD?!" She yelped, shooting up.

She hadn't seen him in, oh, 11 years at least. And suddenly, there he was. Just standing right in front of her. 

He still had the same football head, and he was still wearing his stupid blue hat. did he never take it off?!

His hair had kind of grown but it still stuck up like he had it blow dried or something.

He had some nerdy clothes on and was grinning at her like he expected her to come running into his arms at the sight of him, or something.

"Is it alright if i buy your daughter some ice cream? she really seems to want some."

"Who's he?"

Anna whispered, in a little-too-loud whisper that everybody in the park could hear.

"Anna, this is my old.... acquaintance, Arnold."

"Acquaintance?" He wrinkled his nose at the word, like it was some foul being.

"Yeah, acquaintance. You WEREN'T my friend, Football Head."

"I'm glad you still remember me, Helga."

"Nobody could forget a head like that." Snide comments. Nice. Right back to 11 years ago.

"Yeah, thanks."

He rolled his eyes.

"It's not THAT big."

"Can i have ice cream now?!" Anna yelled.

Arnold smiled hopefully at Helga.

"Yeah sure, Football Head. take her. Don't give her anything with strawberries in it, she's allergic."

"Just like you.." Mumbled Arnold, and took Anna's hand.

They walked down to the ice cream man, and Helga could see Arnold laughing with her daughter.

Helga suddenly realized she had just let her daughter go off with a man she hadn't seen in over 11 years.

He could have become some kind of psychopath.

But as she watched him lift Anna up so she could pay for the ice cream, (Helga hadn't even given him any money, to top it off he was waltzing in and paying for her daughter right off the bat,) She knew he would never do anything to harm Anna.

Helga sighed.

He really was her true love.

She didn't know how she ever managed to live without him.

 

* * *

 

"So, do you think you could show me your place?" asked Arnold, and Helga glared at him.

The ice cream was almost gone, and the last few minutes had gone by painfully slow, with awkward small talk from Arnold and Helga skillfully avoiding his prying, nosy, do-gooder questions.

"Not a chance in he-" She started, but was cut off by her daughter.

"Pleeeassee, Mommy?"

Anna tugged her skirt again.

Helga sighed.

"Fine. As long as it keeps you happy."

Anna jumped for joy.

"YAY!"

Arnold talked to Anna the whole ride home, about her school, and her friends, and what she liked doing.

Helga sighed and focused on the road, not on Arnold.

He was just an... acquaintance. From her past. It struck her how odd this was. How odd they were. They had just picked up right where they left off? Helga knew Arnold had probably changed.

When Arnold stepped into her house, Helga was made aware of how crumby it looked.

She lived in an apartment, an old, run down, cracked and faded at the edges apartment.

A small TV in front of the worn out couch was directly on the left as soon as you walked into the door. 

Helga was just glad that it was a first floor house, she wouldn't be able to live if she had to walk up stairs or take an elevator every day. And she couldn't complain too much, at least there was a small fenced in yard.

The renters living above Helga were never much in the yard, and Anna had filled it with her things. Most of the time the other tenants were old ladies that loved watching Anna play outside, so they never objected to the Patakis taking the whole yard. 

Helga had bought the apartment. She at the very least wanted Anna to grow up knowing that she did have a solid house, (albeit a small one.)

But she was made painfully aware of how awful it looked when Arnold walked in. He took a look around, and opened his mouth to say something, but then Anna was pulling him into her room to show Arnold.

Helga went to her own room and tried to forget that HE was right in the next room.

As the afternoon went by, Arnold entertained Anna by playing dolls with her, while Helga packed up the last box of her former husband's stuff.

Arnold was busy entertaining, so he didn't question her.

Once Anna was down for a nap, however, he had a million questions for her.

"What's that? Are you moving away?"

He kept asking stupid things, and finally Helga got fed up.

"just GO away, Arnold! get OUT of my house!"

She slammed the door to her room, leaving Arnold in the hallway.

He came in anyway.

What a nosy-

"Helga, can i talk to you?"

"Sure, but i'm not listening."

She was lying on her bed, and Arnold sat on the corner of it.

Arnold sighed as he looked at her. He appeared deep in thought, or just trying to form a question.

"Who's the dad?"

Helga glared at him.

"I SAID, football head, you can talk to me, but i'm not listening and i'm not answering any questions."

Arnold stared at the ceiling for a while.

"Fine."

Helga sighed.

"I'll talk about myself, then."

Helga rolled her eyes.

Who did he think he was, anyway? Barging into her house like he just belonged there. Man, if she wasn't so in love with him, she'd have to have a serious talk about personal space.

"I broke up with Lila a few months ago, because she really didn't ever like-like me. and i think she was seeing another man while we were dating."

Helga snorted.

"I moved back to Hillwood last month, to see if anyone i knew still lived here."

Arnold folded his hands.

"And i found you."

Helga jumped up from her bed.

"WHAT is this leading to, Arnold?! i don't have time for you!"

Arnold gave her a weirded out look.

"It looks like you're just lying there."

"FINE! I have to go into court and get my divorce papers settled, OKAY? Are you HAPPY?! You've pried into my personal life, and-"

Arnold mouth tugged up into an apologetic smile.

"QUIT IT!" Screamed Helga.

"Quit what?"

"Your stupid... THING! that you do! That always makes me wanna tell you everything! Just GO AWAY!"

"What am i doing, Helga?" He looked amused and she hated him.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Arnold was smiling more now.

"I can do that to you? make you want to tell you everything about yourself?"

Helga stopped screaming and gave him a glare that could silence the earth.

"GET. OUT."

Arnold grinned at her and started to walk out of the room.

Then he stopped and turned around, the smile gone.

"I'm sorry. I know what a breakup is like. I guess you never really understood it before, to have someone you really love not like you back."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Helga was screaming again.

"ME, loving someone who doesn't like me back?! HOW ABSURD!"

Arnold stared at her.

"Was that sarcastic?"

"What do you think, football head?"

Arnold sighed.

"i'm sorry. divorce must be really hard."

Helga rolled her eyes, but the anger was gone and replaced by a new emotion.

Sadness.

"I guess."

Arnold hugged her, and Helga's mouth dropped in astonishment.

"A-Arnold..?"

"I want you to know that you have people looking out for you, and-"

"Yeah yeah football head, here's my number so you can call me whenever you want and annoy me with your, "Oh, everybody wants to help you," And "Everybody loves you," crap."

And with that, Helga pushed Arnold out the door, him still grinning.

As soon as the door closed, Helga gave a happy sigh.

_She had actually given him her number!_

As soon as the door closed, Arnold broke into a huge smile.

_Helga pataki actually gave me her number!_


	2. Windy nights

Helga had just put Anna down for bed when the phone rang.

"that better not be who i think it is.." she growled, and looked at the caller I.D.

Arnold.

"hello?" she asked in a bored voice.

arnold's happiness surged through the line and she could see his face, all lit up.

"Hi, Helga! um, i was wondering-"

"I'm divorced, you broke up with your girlfriend, you want to hook up with me, meet me at Stinky and Sid's Bar in 10."

"wait, what? that wasn't what i was going to ask you.... stinky and sid run a bar?"

"if you don't know where it is pick me up. 10 minutes, arnoldo."

she slammed the phone down, hard.

why did he do this to her? every time! her life was just going along and strangely enough for the first time in years she felt like writing some poetry.

Helga called her sister.

"Olga, come over and watch Anna for me."

Olga was over in 3 seconds, cooing about how much she just loved her "baby sister's cute widdle baby."

Helga rolled her eyes and fixed her hair. she wore a nice dress and then contemplated inviting Phoebe and Gerald along. 

Arnold hadn't seen gerald in a while, she thought, and without another one she was calling the couple.

they agreed to meet her there, and that minute the doorbell rang.

"COMING!" she yelled, making her way to the door.

Football head.

He held some flowers out to her.

"i really just wanted to talk to you, but i guess this works too."

Helga grabbed a red flower and put it through his button.

"there. perfect."

Arnold grinned down at the flower.

"thanks."

"we're meeting some people at the bar."

"really? who?"

"it's a SURPRISE, arnoldo."

Arnold grinned at her.

Helga noticed that he FINALLY grew slightly taller then her.

The bar was crowded and Helga spotted Phoebe and Gerald.

when Arnold saw them his jaw dropped open.

"GERALD?!"

Gerald, who had only gotten taller over the years, had phoebe on his arm.

"arnold! long time no see!" he slid over to arnold and held out a hand with a thumb up.

their handshake.

arnold stared at it in disbelief.

"what..."

"man, please tell me you didn't forget it."

"i just... i didn't think you'd remember."

Gerald's smile vanished.

"you know, you should have a little more faith in me, buddy. how could i not forget the handshake we've been using for years?"

"i'm sorry! i just... i didn't.... it's been a long time and i just thought..."

"well, i am your best friend and i am STAYING your best friend. got that, arnold?"

"sure."

both of them grinned and did their handshake.

helga made her way over to the counter.

"usual, sid."

"helga, no throwing up this time, deal?"

she glared at him and pointed to arnold, who didn't appear to have heard.

"woah! boy howdy! is that ARNOLD??" sid gasped, putting both hands on the counter and leaning so far forward it looked like he was going to fall off the other side.

stinky came out from the kitchen.

"what's this about arnold-" he stopped talking as soon as he saw.

"whillikers! the gang's back!"

in highschool, gerald and phoebe started dating and since they both wanted their best friends around, it was to be assumed that when you saw gerald and phoebe, you would also see arnold and helga. they usually hung out at the movies and slaucens' ice cream.

so the other kids gradually came to think of them as "the gang."

they were the four kids that hung out with everybody, arnold usually as the center.

Arnold, seeing sid and stinky, made his way over, smiling.

"sid? stinky? wow, it's been a long time!"

there were a lot more welcomes, and helga stayed on the very end of the bar.

she drank like she always did. to clear her mind off all her past.

having arnold back was just rubbing salt in the wound.

helga normally would come alone, but it seemed like everyone in town had to come into the bar to welcome arnold back.

he wasn't popular in the sense that he wanted others to do what he was doing, he just had kids gravitate to him normally.

and now these kids were adults.

Helga still wasn't ready to forgive arnold.

she wished he never came back.

he found his parents.

he lived with them in the jungle for years.

then, helga sent a letter to san lorenzo, and she got a note from arnold's father.

"dear Helga, Arnold hasn't been here for a while. a girl with red hair flew down and asked for arnold. she talked to him for a while, and he told us he was going with her. leaving. her name was lila, maybe you know her. well, arnold really likes her. i don't know. i get a bad feeling from her. this is arnold's new address-"

Helga ripped the letter into tiny shreds.

seconds later, she regretted it, but she was going to try and forget about him. 

she never did, and here he was again.

tormenting her soul.

with those oblivious green eyes.

and that wonderful footballhead.

he never knew her feelings for him.

she left the bar with a sigh.

it was a windy night and she shivered.

 the next thing she felt was a hand on her shoulder.

she whipped her head arnold.

there he was.

"what, arnold?"

"where are you going? i thought we were having fun!"

"YOU were having fun. YOU."

she pointed at him, then stalked over to her car and glared at him once more before she got in.

the second she did, it began to rain.

arnold hurried over and opened the passenger door.

"what are you doing?"

"come on, helga. my car's at your house."

"get out of my car."

"how else am i gonna get home?"

"take the dammed subway."

"it's raining."

Helga scowled at him.

"i'm aware."

"just let me hitch a ride with you, then i'll be gone."

_Didn't he know that that wasn't what she wanted at all? she wanted to be with him forever. but Lila was his ex girlfriend._

_How could he choose her?_

_geekbait._

even as she thought the word she knew it wasn't true.

Lila had been nothing but nice to everyone around her, even helga.

she was perfect.

Helga started the car and swerved into the street, the rain pouring down all around them.

"thanks, Helga."

she didn't answer him.

the green glowing lights of "S+S BAR" got fainter as the window wipers worked furiously.

They arrived at Helga's house.

Helga stomped into the house and slammed the door. seconds later, Olga came out of the house and drove away in her pink and purple car with the yellow flowers on it.

Arnold got soaked on his way to his own small blue car.

he started the engine and...

nothing.

"what?"

the engine would not start up.

he sighed and knew he had to do what he was dreading.

DING DONG

Helga opened the door to see a sopping wet arnold there.

"what?!"

she yelled, and he started to talk, just as the power went out.

the rain kept coming.

Arnold and Helga heard lightning, and they jumped.

"um.. my car won't start."

Helga shut the door.

"Helga! you can't just leave me out here! it's thundering!"

Arnold watched Helga light some candles.

he rang the doorbell again.

it was starting to hail.

"ow!"

he waited for a good 15 minutes.

finally the door flew open.

"can't you go wait in your car?"

"aren't i your friend, Helga?"

she glared ferociously at him and finally stepped out of the way.

"come on."

she shut the door as soon as he was inside.

the wind howled.

 


	3. Windy Nights part 2

"so tell me about your life. what's been going on?"

it was cozy, with candles lit in her small apartment, the lightning outside.

she always felt safe and secure with arnold. he made everything rosier.

especially since she never felt safe with just her and anna on this side of town.

it was usually creepy to her on windy nights like this.

once there had been a rat and she had been scared out of her mind.

anna had to shoo it out the door for her.

Helga didn't want anna to grow up like that, having to take care of her.

she wanted it to be the other way around, but it was really hard.

she wanted to move out of this town and never move back, ever.

but then there was him.

He was sitting on her couch, drying his hair with her towel.

and he was looking at her with big green eyes.

those eyes.

Helga rolled her own and plopped down onto the couch next to him.

"oh, y'know. the norm. got a divorce. had a kid. don't have insurance. live in a shitty apartment."

she sighed dramatically and kicked her feet up on the bare coffee table.

Arnold had an unreadable look on his face.

"who was the dad?"

"why do you care? you're dating  _lila,_ i thought."

"i  **broke up** with lila, Helga."

She knew. she just wanted him to say it again.

"well why? i thought you goody-two shoes were made for each other."

really, helga? we're back to childish insults? that's great, really fantastic.

"well, we didn't exactly work out. especially when i found out she was  _cheating_ on me with my cousin."

Helga burst out laughing.

"ARNIE?! are you serious, football head?"

he didn't really look amused.

"pretty serious."

"why would she cheat on you with HIM? it's pretty obvious you got most of the brains in your family."

had she just complimented him?

he couldn't tell.

"um.. well, thanks."

she continued, still laughing.

"i mean while you're designing really over the top fourth of july floats, he's counting how many ingredients there are on a soup can!"

how she remembered, he didn't know.

"well, lila seems to think he's the best, so... i broke up with her."

helga screamed inwardly.

 _he_ broke up with  _her!_ not the other way around!

"do you still love her?"

"if i'm really honest with you, i don't think i loved her at all. just like-liked. i found out that she was really boring once we were together and she wasn't trying to impress me."

helga almost breathed a sigh of relief.

the air was quiet for a while, aside from the torrent of rain coming down outside.

She stretched out on the couch. her phone beeped.

"oh god, pheebs, what now?" she muttered under her breath.

**You left and then arnold disappeared. Did you get home okay?**

**yep. w/arnold rite now. we r @ my crap apartment.**

 

**With** **Arnold? At your house??**

 

**yep. pwer went out**

 

**Well, I'm going to Gerald's place with him for the night. He was wondering if Arnold needed a place to stay?**

 

**dunno. footballhead is probly gonna stay here since his car broke.**

**Gerald said he could come pick arnold up.**

 

**uh... pheebs... forget? plz? let him stay here?**

 

**ohh, i see. forgetting! ;) have fun with Arnold, Helga.... <3**

 

**shut it or i'll tell him about your nights with gerald.**

 

**Don't you DARE, Helga G. Pataki!**

 

"who are you texting?" arnold asked.

Helga noticed his arm hanging over the back of the couch and onto her side.

it probably wasn't intentional.

a girl-woman, now- can dream.

she was 23. old-head.

"nobody," she answered and put her phone away. the time was 1:32 AM.

"so... are you staying here? because i can't drive you home and i'm not letting you take my car."

"well, am i allowed?"

"whatever."

he smiled at her response.

"i'm gonna go change. i'll bring back some sheets for you."

she walked away, and arnold was left on the couch.

"i think she likes you."

He jumped in surprise.

"uh.... hello?"

a little girl wearing a cupcake-printed nightgown clambered over the side of the couch.

Anna.

"We met before."

"you're kinda.. astute for a 5 year old."

"i'm precocious."

"so i see."

"mommy likes you."

Arnold smiled and shook his head.

"no... we're just old friends and i think she might be happy to see me."

"she likes you," the golden haired child insisted.

"i don't think so."

she sat right on arnold's lap and looked him in the eyes.

"i think you know mommy pretty well, but her bestest friend auntie phoebe and me know her the best. look through her texts."

"i'm not looking through your mom's texts."

"i know. that's why i'm gonna read them to you."

"no! i have to respect her privacy and i think you should too."

Anna shrugged.

"okay, if you don't want to know what she said about you..."

"she was talking about me?"

anna smiled sweetly.

"i guess you'll never know."

Arnold rolled his eyes at the little girl.

"anna, what are you doing out of bed?"

"talking to him!" she smiled at her mother who shook her head.

"go back to bed. now."

"but the powews out and my night wight went out."

 helga sighed and picked up the small girl in her arms.

"fine. i'll read you a story or something." 

arnold gave the girl a raised eyebrow. just a minute ago, she was speaking perfectly normally, without any speech impediment at all. 

she merely smirked at him and put her finger in her mouth.

"i want awnold to wead me a stowy mommy!"

helga groaned and handed her to arnold. 

"fine. is that ok with you, football head?"

he gave helga a bright smile. 

"of course it is!"

and she shot a sour glare right back at him. 

"great now go do your good deed for the day and help a child in need by educating her with the three little bears, whatever, leave me alone."

as soon as they got into anna's room, anna jumped from arnold's arms and shut the door. 

"ok, what the heck?" he burst out at the child. 

"what? i'm five. i can be a bit of a baby if i choose to be."

"yeah, but.. hiding it from your mom?"

"what? the fact that i'm probably the most astute kindergartener in my class? what are you driving at?"

arnold simply sighed. 

"ok, it's not my decision to make for you. but i'm just saying-"

she gave him a hard look.

"don't even think about trying to guilt trip me. mom's told me all about you."

"she has!?"

anna, enjoying the leverage she had over arnold, continued. 

"why, sure. you're the guy who always tries to help people! in fact, you're the reason mommy and daddy broke up!"

"what?! why?! i've been in san lorenzo for the past-"

"mom never forgot about you."

he swallowed. 

"i made your mom divorce... your dad?"

anna, not used to seeing this much concern on one person's face, peered at him. 

"of course not. my mom did it because, well, she still liked you."

arnold didn't even hear the last sentence,  still feeling immensely guilty.

anna walked slowly towards him.

"w-why should you feel bad? you weren't even there!"

he didn't answer.

"i'm sorry.. arnold..." she whispered quietly.

anna, in all her jealousy that mom would let a strange man into their house just a month after the divorce, stared curiously into arnold's face.

arnold shut his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

"okay. well. let's read a story."

"could you read to me about carbon atoms and their basic principles in the world?"

she smiled.

arnold gaped.

"i.. mean.. we can read the gingerbread man."

she took a book off the shelf, handing it to arnold.

he looked around, for a place to sit, and she pointed to the bed.

anna found that arnold had a comforting voice, and she allowed herself to be lulled by it.

when the story was finished, she asked quietly, 

"look.. you didn't have anything to do with mommy's divorce. i was just mad... because... well,"

"i'm a strange guy. your mom's comfortable around me. of course you'd be mad."

anna sighed.

"i see now that you don't use mind games. you just ask people to be honest and good people."

arnold shrugged, and put the book back.

"all i'm saying is you could tell your mom, so you wouldn't have to put up this facade any longer."

Anna nodded.

then she quietly jumped out of bed, and hugged him.

"thank you."

he smiled.

"goodnight, anna."

* * *

he stepped into the tight hallway, shutting the door behind him.

coming back into the living room, he saw helga laying on the couch with her phone.

she got up when she saw him.

"you actually got her to sleep? i'm impressed, hair-boy."

arnold grinned good-naturedly at the nickname.

"she's a good kid."

helga rolled her eyes.

then she motioned to the couch.

"i made up this bed for you. goodnight."

she started to stomp back into her room.

arnold stood there, when a bolt of lightning shocked both of them.

helga yelped and jumped back into arnold.

the close proximity caused them to jump back again.

"it's only lightning, helga."

helga rolled her eyes at him.

"don't you think i freaking know that, arnoldo?"

he smiled.

"goodnight, helga."

* * *

 

she stood there for a moment, contemplating going back to her dingy old room.

or staying out here, with her white night, protecting her from the lightning.

she weighed her options.

slowly, she walked back towards the couch.

"how is lila?"

it was an awful conversation starter. she couldn't care less what happened to ms perfect. and to be quite frank, arnold was looking like she had lost her mind.

"oh, uh, she's good. i guess." he spoke with such disdain helga couldn't help but squeal internally.

"why'd you even ask her to be your girlfriend?"

arnold sighed, throwing his head back against the pillow with a soft thump.

"because, y'know. she was pretty and nice and funny..."

"but she turned out to be an evil scheming lying bitch?" helga offered.

" **helga!** language!"

helga gave him a stare. 

"my house. i can say whatever i want."

"we need to get you a swear jar."

"whatever."

she had somehow made her way over to the couch, and was now leaning on the opposite corner, facing arnold.

"anyway, she is NOT a lying, scheming, whatever-you-said. we just.. had different interests."

helga gave a loud laugh.

"sounds like some of her interests involve cheating on you with your lame-brain cousin."

no reply from arnold.

helga stared at him. his head was tilted to the ceiling again, staring up at her cracking plaster.

"anyway, aren't  **i** funny and pretty and nice?"

it was arnold's turn to laugh.

"of course you are. but at least you have a head on your shoulders, unlike SOME people..."

"arnold! language! the children! think of the children, arnold!" she mocked, pushing his shoulder.

"for your information, that was not a swear word. there's a difference between-"

another bolt of lightning startled the two.

now helga had jumped directly onto arnold's lap.

"scared?" he teased.

"whatever, footballhead."

she didn't move.

they spent the night talking, telling old stories, discussing classmates, talking about relationships, and so on.

helga woke up at 4:56 in the morning, unaware of where she was.

but then she looked over and saw that her pillow was arnold's chest, and she had slept better than she had in a long time.

it was like they just fit together, perfectly.

she slowly drifted off to sleep again, enjoying her time with arnold.


	4. Bike Rides in the City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SO hello, everyone! (crickets chirp)
> 
> I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED
> 
> so sit back, and enjoy as I proceed to slaughter the childhood show you know and love with pointlessness as far as the eye can see but I enjoy it so deal with it
> 
>  
> 
> also, doesn't anyone ever get mad that you can't use capitals on the word "I" to make it MORE PRONOUNCED because in the correct grammatical form I is already supposed to be capitalized, and IT JUST BUGS ME that I can't put the emphasis on I.
> 
> anyway enjoy some cuteness and some drama

Arnold rolled over, the smell of toast filling the air.

"grandpa, did you remember to turn the oven off?" he called sleepily.

"rise and shine, football head!"

Arnold jumped up, realizing that he wasn't at the boarding house.

a girlish scream came from the other room, as Anna came running into the kitchen/dining room, and Arnold looked around at the now sunny and bright house.

he could envision so many improvements to make this a suitable place to live, but, as helga had said before, the first chance she got she was moving out.

He got up from his couch bed and went over to the stove, where helga was making toast and eggs.

she pulled some bread out with one hand, flipped the pan with the other, and without even turning around she asked, "two or one pieces of bread arnold?"

"one," he said, staring in admiration as she moved around the kitchen.

she was talented in many ways, there was no denying that.

what arnold didn't know was that when helga was a kid she had made a promise to herself to never be like miriam and forget to make her kid breakfast.

Anna ran up to arnold and tackled his legs from behind.

"woah!"

she giggled and clung to his leg, as he gently tried to shake her off.

Helga smiled and picked anna up.

"come on, Ms. up at 1 in the morning. time for kindergarten."

anna nodded, grabbed some toast, and got her shoes.

"it rained last night!" she yelled, jumping into her boots and running outside to play in the puddles.

Arnold and helga watched her with contented looks on their faces, until helga turned to arnold.

"so..."

"i'll call gerald." he said, going to pick up his phone.

* * *

helga pataki was panicing.

what if this was the last time she ever saw arnold?

what if he went back to san lorenzo and never came back and fell in love with a beautiful lady who didn't have EGGS on her shirt?

what if he never cared for her at all, and really just couldn't get his car to start?

what if he went back to the boarding house and had a life of his own and never spoke to her again?

WHAT IF SHE MISSED HIM TERRIBLY BUT THE PATAKI PRIDE STOPPED HER FROM ADMITTING IT? 

helga didn't even realize that she was shaking, spatula still in hand.

she didn't own him. she couldn't make him stay. he already thought he had overstayed his welcome, and being the gentleman that he was wouldn't accept more than a piece of toast.

she realized that there had been part of her missing, and the moment she saw him it had been restored.

she had to do something.

"i can't." she said aloud.

arnold, who had dialed two numbers, looked quizzically up at her.

"you what?"

how she desperately wanted to fly into his arms and kiss him again and again.

she couldn't.

she was a GROWN WOMAN.

he didn't control her!

 _oh yes he did,_ a voice inside her said.

no he didn't. she wouldn't let him. pataki's can handle things all on their own.

_you never wanted to be a pataki anyway...._

but she was, and she had to stay firm. she couldn't melt into his arms and-

"helga. helga. hello?"

arnold, waving his hand in her face, was becoming concerned for her state of health.

"JUST SHUT UP!" she screamed.

Anna, out in the yard, screeched to a stop with her playing.

Arnold jumped back.

"um.. helga... is there anything.. what did i... should i...?"

at a loss for words, he was looking at her anxiously.

oh god she was a basket case.

a full grown basket case who had spent 11 years of her life pining over this GUY, and 11 years secretly missing him. she divorced her husband. why? arnold. she had a child. who knows why. because he had pushed her into it. her husband had been anxious to start a family.

helga's heart had never been in it, and she knew it, and he knew it, so she had to let him go.

"i've got. a migraine." she finally said tersely, snapping back to the present.

Arnold didn't say anything for a moment.

"do you want to lie down?" he asked softly.

"i can take anna to preschool."

_~~~~~~~~~_

_i... i need to lie down._

_wonderful, i'll go with you!_

_no!_

_~~~~~~~~~_

what was she doing with her life. she wanted to kill him and kiss him.

she wanted to marry him and throw him off a cliff.

she wanted to snuggle him and choke him.

helga finally decided to give in.

"fine. take my car. she's late already. i'll call gerald, and have him bring his jumper cables over. come back with my car, football head."

anna and arnold left, and helga sank into a chair, exhausted.

"i need to decide," she told herself.

"i need to decide whether i wanna keep him or not. criminy! as if he has a choice. he wouldn't stay. but i need to tell him. soon."

she looked around the empty room.

"i also gotta stop talking to myself."

* * *

arnold hurried back to helga's house, after dropping anna off.

she and gerald were standing outside his car.

gerald went over and patted him on the back.

"your car is good to go buddy. no need to thank me. fuzzy slippers got the cables."

arnold grinned.

"thanks, gerald."

"i told you, don't thank me. i just brought 'em over. pataki came running out of the house like a madwoman, yanked the cables away from me, and plugged 'em in herself. "

arnold laughed, as helga walked over to them.

"yeah, yeah, geraldo, get lost."

"hey, pataki, i have as much right to hang out with arnold as you do. more, because i'm his best friend! so why don't YOU shove off?"

she stared at him blankly for a moment.

"this is my house, johannssen."

they then both stared at arnold.

he looked between the two of them.

"look, guys, i like hanging out with both of you-"

"you LIKE hanging out with HER?" gerald erupted, waving his arms.

"and come to think of it, arnold, what were you doing at HER HOUSE? man, were you guys-"

"NO." the simultaneous reply came.

 a car pulled up in the driveway, and phoebe stepped out.

"gerallld, you promised to take me out today!"

gerald nodded.

"i did promise and then i realized that arnold was back home, sweet cake, and-"

"sweet cake?" helga asked incredulously.

phoebe gave a girlish giggle and leaned her head on gerald's chest.

"let's go out all four of us! it'll be fun!"

"yeah, i can't remember the last time we did that!" arnold jumped in.

gerald and helga sighed, knowing they wouldn't win.

they gave each other a silent nod of agreement, even if _they_ didn't get along, both of them would have their two favorite people there.

"let's go bike riding!" phoebe squealed, running to the car. "hop in, everyone."

arnold gave a half sigh half laugh.

"guess my car is staying at your house, huh helga?"

she growled in return, but inside she was screaming in delight.  _no. snap out of it. you are not 12 years old anymore._

gerald called shotgun.

they rented a bike for arnold, and the four of them rode around the city park a few times.

* * *

 

"i think that one looks like a poodle."

their bikes were leaned up against the old knotted tree, gerald and phoebe sitting on a park bench with their PDA.

arnold and helga had quietly left, going to sit under the tree.

"a poodle?" helga laughed. "that's the best you can come up with?"

arnold pursed his lips and stared at the blond girl strewn out in the grass.

"well, how do i know you can do any better?"

she sat up quickly.

"that's a little dog, you're right. but only half that cloud is the actual dog, the other half is the couch that he's not supposed to be on. and since he's not supposed to be on it, that big cloud is his owner yelling at him for being on it. and that other cloud right there is his girlfriend telling him not to scold the dog since she's a big softie for those animals. she's reading the new york times at the kitchen counter, and that over there is their newborn baby which is sitting in it's playpen and playing with it's little toys."

she sat back down, grinning at him.

he just rolled his eyes.

"i think it's a dog. why do you have to over complicate everything?"

"i don't overcomplicate things."

"yes you do."

"no i don't," she said, standing up.

"yes you do."

"well why do you oversimplify everything?! not everything in life is crystal clear and you make it seem like you can fix a big problem with a simple solution when in  _reality,_ arnold, YOU CAN'T!"

he stopped arguing.

"this isn't about clouds, is it?"

"no, it's about my shit life that i and i alone got myself into."

helga flopped onto the grass, out of energy.

"well, look on the bright side."

"what bright side?! there is no bright side." she snarled.

"you have a wonderful and intelligent daughter."

"she's going to have to be held back from kindergarten."

"you- wait, what?"

"you heard me. she's failing KINDERGARTEN. how in god's name do you fail kindergarten?!"

arnold stared at her.

"why is she failing?"

helga gave a heavy sigh.

"the teacher thinks she's developmentally challenged or something."

arnold's face probably looked like a scrunched up lemon at this point.

"she's not." he said tensely.

"what do you mean she's not?" helga chuckled, without amusement. "the only child i could ever give birth to would probably be developmentally challenged. i suck at everything."

"anna. is not. developmentally  _challenged_." 

"how do you know?"

arnold sighed and put his head in his hands.

"i can't tell you. i promised anna."

helga tackled him immediately.

"no. there is no 'you can't tell me because anna told you not to.' you tell me right now, bucko."

arnold gulped.

"i can't."

"well is it an emergency? is she doing something dangerous? is she doing DRUGS?!" helga yelled.

she had grabbed both of his wrists so he couldn't manuver out of her grasp.

"helga, no, she's 5." he said calmly.

"TELL ME ALREADY!" she screamed, tightening her grasp.

"NO!"

gerald and phoebe stood in front of them.

"er... what are you two doing?"

 


	5. This is not over

they couldn't get off of each other fast enough.

"we were, uh," 

Arnold made up lame excuses while Helga jumped in and said,

"he knows something about anna and he won't freaking tell me!"

"Helga, calm down," he said again, as she prepared to tackle him once more.

Gerald and phoebe watched the strange exchange.

phoebe had a small smile on her face.

Gerald, on the other hand, was looking very disapprovingly at Arnold. 

_and they were right back to where they had left off 11 years ago. things never change._

phoebe finally broke up the two bickering when she told them that they were going out for ice cream.

Helga gave a poisoned smile to Arnold.

"this is not over." she hissed.

* * *

 

as Gerald and phoebe dropped Arnold and Helga off at Helga's house, phoebe gave Helga a knowing smile.

"see you later, guys!"

Helga fought the surge of panic that was going on in her head.

she fought the urge to say, "don't leave me. never leave me."

as Arnold walked over to his car, she fought the urge to run over to him. 

she had to be strong. 

he would not control her. she wouldn't let him. 

and he also had to tell her what was going on with anna. 

she fought back the horrible images of Arnold going off on a plane and leaving her all over again.

"I'll see you!" he called, waving as he opened his car door.

Helga didn't think twice.

she ran over to him, the boy she had loved, and never stopped loving.

he definitely wasn't expecting the surprise hug he got from  _Helga Pataki!_  

"oof! ....um, Helga?!"

she said nothing.

_why am I trying to hide my feelings from him?! this might be my last chance! I don't even have a reason anymore!_

it's because he might leave forever... he just wants to be friends!

"Helga....?"

she realized that she had been hugging him for way too long than acceptable.

_stop being so CLINGY goddammit!_

he started laughing.

_he was laughing at her. great. you got Arnold, Mr sympathetic, to laugh at you. you must be a real basket case._

"Helga you can let go of me now. I'll be back. remember, I have your phone number now."

she looked up with misty eyes and his laughter immediately stopped.

"I don't want you to leave," she admitted, finally pulling away from him.

she finally had said it.

and he wasn't laughing at her and driving off.

"please don't leave." she started crying, a rare spectacle for Helga indeed.

she could tell Arnold had no idea what to do.

_SHE WAS SO CLINGY! HE MUST HATE HER NOW BECAUSE SHE HAD BASICALLY GIVEN HIM NO WAY OUT!_

he hesitantly patted her back, letting her cry.

it must have looked a little odd to any passerby on the street.

"thank you Mr. G!" anna got out of her carpool and ran up the steps to her house, only to be met with her mother bawling and Arnold trying to comfort her.

"mommy!"

she tried to cover her crying.

"oh, hi, anna."

anna was very conflicted.

maybe asking why she was crying would upset her even more.

she looked to Arnold, who sort of looked frightened.

anna knew it was time to show her mother.

all that she could do.

"mom, what's wrong?"

Helga halted.

"that's.. the first time you've called me mom."

anna nodded.

"ok, and don't freak out, but,"

Helga looked extremely confused.

"I've sort of been failing school on purpose."

she looked to Arnold again. he was smiling.

"I was.... getting back at you for kicking daddy out... and.. and i..."

"oh god.." Helga said and buried her face in her hands.

"I have been an awful mother."

"NO!" anna and Arnold both yelled at the same time.

"it's not that." anna said, sitting down on the porch steps with her mother.

"you and daddy weren't happy together, and I understand that now. but dad's coming to pick me up for the month... and Arnold thought I should tell you how precocious I really am."

Helga had a look of complete bafflement on her face.

"Arnold told you to tell me...."

"that I could be moved to third grade, probably. in the next week or so."

"Why would you hide it?"

"like I said. to get back at you for divorcing daddy."

a car pulled into the driveway.

"I'll see you in a month..." Anna waved hesitantly. "Are you mad at me?"

Helga blinked.

"Probably too shocked right now to do anything."

she pulled her daughter into a hug.

"I'm glad you told me."

Arnold, watching the exchange with a grin on his face, moved his attention to the car.

out stepped a young man with blond hair and glasses.

Helga grinned and waved.

Anna ran over to him, hugged him, and then they got into the car.

"I'll drop her off in a month."

Helga nodded.

not a minute after they had left, she heard Arnold speak again.

"so was that the dad?"

"Yep. you finally uncovered allll my secrets. good job."

They stood there in silence.

"it's been a long time."

She nodded in agreement.

"I haven't seen you since I went to the jungle."

"I wrote to you. every day."

Arnold stared at her in shock.

"no, you didn't."

she laughed. with no humor.

"I never sent them."

_Helga old girl, here's the part where you tell him how much you missed him._

"the one letter i did get enough courage to write, I sent it and I got a reply back from your dad telling me that you had left with Lila."

Arnold kept staring at her.

"and then you came back and expected me to be your friend again after you basically left me here in Hillwood with a bunch of dweebs who have no common sense."

"and I'm not a dweeb?"

a half-lidded smirk.

_no time like the present. TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL._

"you're a footballhead."

"so you've said," Arnold shrugged.

"listen, i gotta go. i told grandpa i'd help him out."

he smiled at her, and then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

* * *

helga didn't know how long she stood outside after he left, wondering what the heck just happened.

 


	6. You're a Tease

Helga had all of 2 days to mull over what had happened.

every time the phone rang she leapt to it, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be Phoebe, or Olga, or brainy asking about carpools.

she paced. she wrung her hands with worry.

what if he didn't call? what if she was acting like a stupid 14-year-old again?

what if he had already found another beautiful girl?

 

she was out shopping when he finally called.

"hey. it's Arnold! I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies tonight! well, if you want. if you can, call me back! thanks!"

she listened to his voice a million times.

the answering machine literally broke.

maybe that was because it was old and stupid.

like everything in her old and stupid apartment.

as soon as she earned enough money with her stupid little dishwashing job, she would be outta hillwood as soon as you could say 'sayonara suckers!'

when she called him back, it was all she could do not to scream into his ear; "take me now, let's get married!"

he answered, cheerful as always, in his stupid little do-goody way.

"Hi Helga!"

"Hey, i.. let's go. see a-a movie."

"ok, well, should i pick you up..?"

"yes."

god she sounded deranged.

a madwoman.

when she heard the car pull up, she inhaled.

_ok. you can do this. don't slobber all over him. be a nice, normal human. do not be too dramatic or weird._

helga opened the door with a resolve to be a good date.

Arnold stood there with a red rose in his hand.

she could've melted he was so adorable.

"hey."

"hey."

she got into his car and breathed in the arnoldness of it. 

"do you honestly only have jazz CDs?"

"it's an art, Helga."

"i'll have to take your word for it, hairboy."

they both laughed and helga was struck with how  _normal_ this was! she could be a good, normal person. but it was only the beginning.

they pulled into the movie theater and golden boy paid for tickets. she insisted on paying for the snacks though, because she wanted to get the refillable popcorn deal.

getting into their seats, and as the lights dimmed, helga grinned to herself.

she was addicted to arnold and it was not ok.

oh, but it was. he was her footballheaded prince, her wonderful, lovely lad that she had for so long pined, and now had the pleasure of being around.

their hands touched when they both reached for the popcorn.

"this is sooo cliche~" helga whispered playfully.

arnold started laughing.

a couple of people shushed them.

"what movie are we even watching?" helga whispered.

"i don't know...." arnold whispered mysteriously.

"did you even see which movies were playing, arnoldo?" she laughed.

he laughed nervously and that just made her want to laugh harder.

"why didn't you check?"

"i figured we'd be doing other things than watch the movie."

that stopped her cold.

"like... what?" she muttered.

his hand found hers in the dark.

"um.. like kissing?"

"is.. that what people do at movie theaters?"

"i think so." arnold nodded.

helga was suddenly kissing arnold.

"oh get a room, i'm tryna watch the dang movie!" the guy behind them complained.

that comment was enough to get them both laughing.

"arnold! you're gonna get us kicked out!"

he folded his arms and pouted at her.

"oh, sure, it was allll me."

~~~~

during intermission, helga grabbed arnold's hand.

"hey. footballhead. let's get out of here."

arnold stared at her.

"but we're.. aren't we watching the...?"

"you know we aren't. let's go."

she pulled him up and they walked out of the movie theater.

"where are we going?"

"back to my house."

"we do seem to be stuck there a lot, don't we?"

"shut up."

"make me."

she whirled around with a furious look on her face.

"make you? mkay hairboy."

but she did nothing and went to his car.

"well? are you gonna make-" "just wait 'till we get to my house."

he was certain he was blushing.

~~~~

they couldn't get into the house fast enough.

for one single moment, they were teenagers, hormonal teenagers that needed to get some tension out.

helga pulled arnold onto her single bed.

he reached for her, but didn't actually do anything.

"well? what are you waiting for?"

"um..."

"come on, i'm frustrated! let's do this!"

he swallowed, and sat back on his heels.

"helga... i'm.. as much as i'd like to... i can't."

"why?"

"i just... i've never gone... i'm...."

she sat up and stared at him.

"you're a virgin?"

he stared at the comforter.

"yeah... lila and i never went all the way."

arnold looked up at helga's face, expecting to see a look of pity, maybe disappointment.

instead he saw helga with the widest grin he'd ever seen her with.

"that means...." she trailed off, pretending to fiddle with something on the side of the bed.

he looked questioningly at her for a second, and then...

"you're all MINE!" she yelled, tackling him.

he gasped and fell over onto the bed.

she grabbed his face and kissed him.

"oh.. my innocent, pure footballhead..."

he smirked at her.

"i didn't say that. forget it arnoldo. tell me if you need me to stop, kay?"

"i don't want to hurt you."

"oh, trust me arnoldo, this will be one of the best moments of my life."

he bit his lip and nodded.

"ok."

"ok."

 

 


	7. Baby Boy

"phoebe, i swear, he was amazing. it was amazing."

phoebe giggled and pulled a little blue suit off the clothes rack.

"aww, this would look adorable on martin, wouldn't it helga?"

"everything looks adorable on martin, pheebs. that boy is adorable."

"so, helga... i don't mean to be overstepping my boundaries... but are you on birth control?"

all of helga's good mood vanished.

" _shit._ no. i never... i didn't.. we..."

phoebe covered her mouth.

"well... i mean it was one time... what are the chances that i could have another baby?"

~~~~~~~~~

2 months after she said it, helga wished she could go back. 

she held the positive pregnancy test in her hand.

" _shit."_ she whispered.

she was going to have to tell arnold.

some way.

it was pretty easy. all she had to do was come out with it.

she couldn't do that to him. they'd had fun, but were they going to be in the long run?

she hoped so. god, she loved him.

anna had come home 3 days earlier, and since she and arnold were besties now, they were playing video games on the console that arnold had brought over.

helga stepped into the living room.

"arnold.. can i talk to you?"

"yeah helga, just a sec-"

"YES! beat ya! i win!"

arnold laughed. "yeah, yeah. winner. crow all you want, i'll be back."

"arnold i need to talk to you."

"sure."

they stepped into helga's bedroom.

"arnold i'm pregnant."

"yeah i know- wait you WHAT?"

he stood there with his mouth open.

she nodded forlornly.

"i'm having a baby. whoop."

"well.. i mean... there is abortion..."

"i can't kill it. it's a person, inside me."

arnold gave her a loving smile.

"even if it would ruin your life even more, you'd still let the little egg have a chance?"

"hey, it's got  _your_ genes. i'm not preventing the world from having it's little mini arnold miracle child."

"well you're not doing it alone."

"i'm... what?"

"i'm sort of part of this too, right?"

"can i call you daddy?"

"umm, maybe not."

she laughed. 

then she stopped and stared at the ground.

"i thought i could save up enough to get out of hillwood... but now i'm really stuck. i mean, 2 kids?"

"is this your apartment?"

"yes, i own this apartment. in hindsight it was a stupid move. i could've just rented it, but now it's paid for and done. i have a little shack of my own."

"we could fix it up."

"we.. what?"

"yeah! we could fix this place up! we could have the baby sleep with us for a while, then maybe it could move in with anna-"

"woah woah woah arnold- 'sleep with us'? are you moving in???"

"yeah, i guess you're right, we should probably get married first-"

"WHAT?!"

"i'm kidding helga. whatever you want to do."

she stared at him. it was like he could see into her thoughts.

"we've been on a total of 2 dates arnoldo. we're skipping straight to marriage?!"

"you skipped straight to 'baby'."

"oh, that was half your fault and you own up to it, mister."

suddenly they were both very aware that they were being watched.

"anna?"

the little girl stared up at them.

"so i'm getting a sibling, huh? and arnold's the dad?"

helga nodded.

"oh. hm. interesting. when were you planning on telling  **me?** in a couple weeks? in your third trimester? when you just got too fat to lie to me?"

"anna, i never lied to you." helga started towards her.

"yeah, but you did start seeing him. what was it? 2 days after you got the divorce settled? even before that?"

helga swallowed.

"anna, we were seperated. brainy has every right to date whoever he chooses. in fact, he should. he should find someone that will love him like he deserves."

"look, arnold, i know you're this great guy, and all, but it seems like you just got mom pregnant and you're ready to leave whenever. and trust me, mom's already on edge when it comes to the mental stability. she was all set to get out of hillwood. we were going to leave this place and you ruined it. so don't think you can just paint a happy face on this wall and pretend it's all okay, because, mister whatever-your-last-name-is, you have ruined my mom's life, and, in turn, half of mine. i live here too. you aren't teenagers."

"NO!" arnold cried.

"i NEVER meant to do this! i-i... you can come live at the boarding house, if you want."

helga turned to her daughter.

"leave arnold alone, anna. it's my fault too. blame me."

"oh, mom. i AM blaming you. you got into this mess as a teenager and guess what? now I'M here! but you didn't learn your lesson the first time around, nooo, you just see some guy come around and you just had to seize your chance, right? oh, but it's ok, because he's an old friend!"

"ANNA!" helga yelled, slamming her fists into the bedside table.

"that is ENOUGH! yes, i've been shortsighted, but i have done everything in my power to make sure you can go to school and that you're well fed every morning. we might not have a house as big as your fathers, but as soon as i make enough money-"

"when will that be, mom?"

"whenever i GODDAMN feel like it! this man, right here? anna, he's saved my life! multiple times! this man is half my life! we do have a history. i am NOT some slut who takes whatever man she finds right off the street. i'm your mother, and even though i'm not the best, you should respect me, maybe just for the fact that i keep you in a warm house, and you HAVE a winter jacket every February. maybe you should be GLAD that i'm not slumped over a blender when you get home from school. that i even HAVE my drivers license. that i don't have a probation officer! and that i'm going to make goddamn sure that i'm not gonna die of alcohol poisoning when you turn 16!"

anna was quiet.

"so yeah! we live in a small apartment. but so do a LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE! i divorced your dad. GUESS WHAT?! you're not the only divorced kid! you're gonna have a sibling! 80 freaking percent of americans have at least one!" 

helga stepped towards anna.

"Anna, my little moonbeam, i may be having another kid, but we'll still get out. and even if we don't, we'll find a way to be happy. we're not dirt poor, and hey, with mister noble there, we can probably fix this place up to be not half bad. what do you say, kid?"

helga lifted anna off the floor.

"come on. you can't stay mad at me forever. let's go beat arnold in some video games."

"ok... fine."

"hey, what?"

"nobody asked you, footballhead. come'on."

"fine."

"i'm gonna beat you so bad!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHH MY GOOOOOOODDD HEY ARNOLD JUNGLE MOVIE IS OUT IN 5 DAYS! ALMOST 4 AS IM WRITING THIS BECAUSE IT IS 11:39 AND I SHOULD GO TO BED! THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!


	8. A Thanksgiving To Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE JUNGLE MOVIE HAS BEEN OUT FOR FOUR MONTHS NOW AND I'M STILL SCREAMING OMFG OMFG OMFG OFMG OFMG
> 
>  
> 
> this doessss mess with the canon of my story a wee bit but here's my timeline.
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> FTI happens. Helga and Arnold pretend it doesn't happen.
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> Jungle movie happens. But- at the end, Arnold doesn't reveal anything about feelings or anything.  
> He just knows that Helga helped him find his parents.
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> with a heart locket of him.
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> duh.
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> they're totally obviously friends.
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> she just
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> has a heart locket
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> with his picture
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> f r i e n d s
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> best friends
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> eugh this boy
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> i love the jungle movie
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> ok enough talk on to the chapter i'm about 4 months late on but tbh i've been fangirling cut me some slack OK

Helga G Pataki woke up morning sick. she woke up so sick she was in the bathroom for an hour puking her brains out.

It was the day of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving had never really worked out for Helga, (save for that one she spent with Arnold) and it looked like this one wasn't going to be any different. 

Clutching her baby bump, she shuffled into the living room. Anna was sitting on the couch staring at the ceiling.

"Hey munchkin. How are you doing?"

Anna turned to stare at her.

"What if they all hate me in first grade? They're so much bigger than me. What if they pick on me?"

Helga sat down on the faded couch. It was lumpy and uncomfortable but it held memories for her.

"Kiddo, if they're mean to you, they're going to have to answer to old betsy. Besides, aren't you glad you're going to be in the same class as Martin now?"

Martin was Phoebe's little son, in first grade. He was quite possibly the most adorable little boy (save for Arnold) she had ever seen.

"Yeah, but i bet all the other kids will hate me. They won't be mean to me, but they'll hate me."

Helga didn't see much of a difference between a preschooler and a first grader, but she definitely remembered a time when a year or two made a huge difference. now the years just seemed blurred and it was already November? When did that happen?

She barely remembered this fall. Arnold had taken Anna and her trick or treating in October... Anna had been a little ghost girl and Arnold, much to Helga's amusement, had gone as a literal football. He'd made his own costume, and when she'd gone to open the door to let him in when he came to pick them up, she'd covered her face and slammed the door at the sight of him.

Then, opening it again, she'd had the chance to scream: " **Footballhead**!" And invited him in.

They'd gone to a corn maze in the fall, gone to a couple fall themed parties and a cider pressing one out in the country with Olga's new boyfriend.

Helga'd bet that they would last less than a month, and yeah, they'd broken up during the party.

The thing she remembered most about the fall was the morning sickness. Every day she would wake up and have to hurl. Anna sometimes came in and patted her back, but she knew it made Anna horrified.

Man, this little angel child was sure taking it's sweet time.

And then there was Arnold.

He had been a God about the whole thing. He'd been right there with her when she went to the doctor's to get an actual medical test, he'd been there with her for the ultrasound, and he was there taking care of Anna when she couldn't get a sitter.

Helga wasn't quite sure what they were. She knew they were somewhat... together? It was hard for them not to be when they both were so set on being the parents to this child. But they were never sure how to act around each other. Helga'd noticed that sometimes she would look over and Arnold would just have this look on his face, like she was the only one he ever saw.

She loved those looks. She cherished them.

But she wasn't sure where they were at. They'd done nothing really romantic in the last months, aside from the whole movie/baby fiasco. She'd loved that. She'd go back and do it again, for sure.

What about Arnold? Would he take it back if he could? Was his conscience the only thing preventing him from leaving?

Realizing she had yet to answer her daughter's questions, and was sort of just sitting on the couch staring at the ceiling with her, Helga snapped back to the present.

"Sweetie, they won't hate you."

"You're just saying that."

"Yeah, but what else do you want me to do? That's all i can say."

"Arnold would say something nice." she pouted. She stuck her lip out.

Helga groaned.

"Wow, three months with Arnold and you're already favoring him. Thanks a lot."

"No, my favorite is Dianne."

Helga looked up.

"Who?"

"Daddy's new girlfriend." Anna smirked, like she was sort of hoping Helga would feel bad.

Helga, however, smiled widely. 

"That's great! How long's she been around? I gotta meet this Dianne."

"Arnold's really rubbing off on  _you._ " Anna growled. 

Helga scooped her up in her arms and fell back against the couch, having a feeling of euphoria wash over her.

"I hope so, sport!"

Helga ran over to the windows after setting her daughter neatly down on the couch again and opened the blinds.

"Man, it's a beautiful day. We should go do something. We should go seize the world. Have the best thanksgiving ever."

"Are you gonna barf all over the car again?" Anna grinned up at her, jumping off the couch. Her little four year old feet covered in the knitted duck socks Olga had made, she was wearing a red jumper and her messy blonde hair was tied up in a bow.

Helga really couldn't get over how this adorable little person had come from  _her._

"Don't disrespect your mother kiddo you're already on thin ice because of that 'fatter' comment earlier."

"Well you are."

Helga didn't answer, and instead stared out the window. 

"Is that Arnold?" She asked curiously. "But he's spending the day with Stella and Miles, I thought."

Stella and miles had come back a week before Thanksgiving break, planning to spend a month with Arnold before they made the trek back to San Lorenzo.

They had flipped out, to say the least, when Helga had shared the big baby news with them over a coffee date with Arnold and his parents.

Flipped out in a good way.

She hoped.

They were hopping around like crazy, screaming at Arnold, screaming at each other, positively glowing with excitement.

Arnold had laughed and said they were nuts, but he looked pretty pleased at their reaction.

Helga squinted out the window again.

"It  **is him.** What's he doing here?"

Arnold knocked on the door. Helga couldn't figure out why. He saw her staring at him from the window. Why didn't he just come on in? He practically half lived here now.

She opened the door and opened her mouth, but he started talking before she could get a word in.

"So, my mom and dad really want to meet Anna, and i was just wondering, since i wasn't sure if you had any plans right now, maybe, you.. wanted to come over for Thanksgiving dinner with us? You're basically family, Helga, and-"

He looked so nervous she had to giggle at him.

"Sure, It's not like we had anything going on here anyway."

The look of relief on his face was so prominent her giggling turned into laughter. It's like he didn't realize he was right up there in the pie chart of "Helga's Most Important People."

The list was basically Anna, Arnold, and Phoebe.

Realizing she was snickering like a madwoman, she quickly shut up.

"C'mon, Anna. We're going to Arnold's."

"COOL!" Anna screamed, and ran out to the car.

* * *

 

"So I'm thinking Timothy." Helga said once they were in the car. Conversation starters? Who needs 'em? It was almost scary how in tune Arnold and Helga were. They could just blurt something out and usually the other one knew exactly what they were talking about.

"I'm not sure about Tim. What about, like, Herbert?"

Well. Almost in tune.

Helga shut that one down with a flat, " **No.** "

"Jeremy?"

"Casey?"

"Lawrence?"

"Arnold Junior?" (Arnold said that one would confuse him to no end.) (Helga said she was going to call the baby AJ sometimes anyway, no matter what his name was actually.) (Arnold said that she was weird.) 

"Devon."

"Fred."

"Alistair."

"George."

 "How about Mistake?" Anna called from the backseat, and Helga shushed her.

"You're going to be nice to your baby brother, Anna."

Anna stuck her tongue out and stared out the window.

They drove in comfortable silence until they came to the boarding house.

Helga hadn't been there in years.

When she was a teenager, and Arnold was gone, she would come by, and just sit and stare at the house. Sometimes Grandpa Phil would invite her in for a game of Chinese checkers. Sometimes She'd help Grandma make dinner for the boarders. 

Sometimes she just sat with them.

They all missed Arnold terribly, and they'd tell stories about him to Helga. Helga in turn would have her own embarrassing stories to tell about her lovable footballhead. 

Mr. Hyunh's daughter had kids, and Helga babysat for them.

Susie moved out. Oskar stayed behind, much to everyone's displeasure. But Helga sorta liked him. He reminded her of the worst parts of herself.

Ernie loved talking to her about demolishing things.

Gradually, Helga had become a 'boarder.'

Often-times, especially when the beeper emporium closed indefinitely, Helga would just go to the boarding house after school.

Phil and Gertie were happy to have her. 

Phil even insisted that she call him 'Grandpa,' even though she'd definitely heard him yelling at some of the other kids for calling him that.

She still thought it was weird, and for a brief period, called him only "Mr. Shortman."

When her mom had died.... well, when her mom had died, The boarding house was like her house. She stayed away from the beeper emporium altogether. Bob had been a wreck. He was unemployed, living in the shell of a broken dream.

Helga probably should have been there for him.

But she was young, she couldn't do that. She couldn't comfort someone who would turn on her in an instant if she said something wrong.

And then, her Senior year of high school, she'd hooked up with brainy.

She'd been desperate.

She'd just needed some attention.

It was at a party. Helga was a little buzzed. Not drunk, no. Helga Pataki did not get shitfaced drunk.

She knew where that path led.

Someone had probably spiked the punch or something. 

No biggie.

But apparently slightly inebriated Helga decided that it was a good idea to hook up with the guy she'd been punching since preschool. 

Apparently it was also a good idea to not use protection.

Apparently, that's how you make a baby.

Brainy had been very supportive.

She couldn't go to the boarding house after that. 

She just couldn't. She couldn't face Arnold's family when she had a baby on the way that wasn't his. She had been saving herself for him, she had been a virgin up until that point.

And then she just... wasn't.

She was ashamed of herself. Of her choices. She'd been reckless. She'd always been reckless, but not like this.

The baby came. She was a beautiful baby girl. She was the most beautiful baby Helga had ever seen in her entire life. Brainy had insisted (yeah insisted but this was brainy so more like said a couple times) that they marry.

So then they were married.

But Helga wasn't happy. She knew she wasn't happy. Brainy knew she wasn't happy.

Helga divorced him.

Which brought them basically back to right now.

Driving to Arnold's house.

Arnold had no idea Helga knew his family. Arnold had no idea Helga had ever met his family other than in the jungle for the brief moment.

They stopped in front of the boarding house.

Helga took in a breath.

Seeing Phil and Gertie for the first time in 5 years.

Well, it was closer together than when she'd last seen Arnold, but she and Arnold had just picked right up where they'd left off.

It was like there was no time that had passed.

Helga took a shaky breath and unbuckled Anna from the carseat in Arnold's backseat.

Arnold invited her inside, (making sure to hold her and Anna out of the way of the stream of cats and dogs that found their way out of the boarding house) giving her a beaming smile.

Helga walked through the door, holding Anna's hand, and the first person she saw was Phil.

He walked towards her, arms wide.

Now that was a reaction she hadn't been expecting.

"Where you been, Girlie? We missed you. When we heard you were expecting, we almost drove over there right away."

Helga smiled as she squeezed into the ferocious hug the old man was giving her.

"Yeah, he's going to be an amazing little boy."

"what are  **you** talking about? I mean when you were first expecting! You never came over after that! I NEVER EVEN GOT TO MEET MY GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER!"

Phil pushed Helga gently out of the way to see Anna. She scowled up at him.

"Well there you are!" Phil yelled.

Helga was still mulling over the 'great granddaughter' bit.

"Phil, you know I'm not family, right? You aren't getting senile on me."

"Oh, a family curse i'm afraid. Every male in my family has died when they're 91."

"Grandpa, you're 95." Arnold interjected, only to get waved off by Phil. "It's a curse, i tell ya!"

Phil lifted Anna off the ground.

"So this is the little bean sprout! What an absolute angel! She's just beautiful, Helga."

Helga beamed. Anna scowled deeper.

"Put me down."

"You've even got the one eyebrow, just like your mother! And the little bow!"

"Mom says not to hit old people, but i'll hit you."

"Ohoho! A tough little cracker!" He put her down.

Anna met the Hyunh twins, and they got along famously. The twins were a bit older than Anna, granted, but Anna was able to keep up with them.

She noticed Arnold eyeing her a little suspiciously when every single one of the boarders recognized her, asked her questions about her life, and asked about Anna. If he really did suspect something, though, he didn't say anything.

Soon, the small talk was cut short when dinner was served.

The boarders cut into the turkey furiously, Anna exclaiming loudly, "We never have this big a dinner at Mom's house!" and Helga shushing her.

Helga knew Anna was being a little unapproachable on purpose, but she seemed to loosen up after the dinner.

When everyone had eaten their fill, and Oscar was sneaking off with more portions then he should have, Arnold invited her to stay a little while.

The adults filed into the living room. Helga was forced to answer questions, and the first one someone blurted out was:

"Why did you stop visiting us, Helga?"

Arnold turned to look confusedly at her.

"You came over here?"

Helga looked to the ceiling, embarrassed. 

"Yeah.. a little bit. After you left for San Lorenzo."

"A little bit?" Oskar exclaimed. "You were over here every day for 5 years! Eating all my food, too!"

Arnold kept his gaze fixed on Helga.

She glowered at him. "Yeah?! So what?!"

The rest of the boarders stared at her as well.

"Look- i just- i needed money- because- because you were offering me jobs and stuff.... That's  _ **all**_ Arnoldo, stop looking at me like that."

Arnold laughed, his face settling into a smile as he looked at her.

"I just don't get you, Helga." He shook his head, still smiling.

He wasn't going to press for another reason? Well that was good. She wasn't going to give him one.

"You only came over here for that dumb babysitting job? What about all my demolition tips, Helga?" Ernie Potts piped up from the ottoman he was sitting on.

She gave him a withering glance, and noticing his saddened expression, felt that she had to make him feel better somehow.

"Yeah, the demolition tips were a definite plus! And now i know how to fell a building correctly."

"What about my checkers games, Helga?" Grandpa Phil. "Or my violin lessons?" Mai Hyunh. "Or, or our games of how much food can we make for Oskar?" Oskar asked.

"Yes, Yes, ok? I love you all. Case closed. You're my family. The end."

"Why did you start coming over, anyway?" Arnold asked. His obliviousness himself. His Royal Nosiness.

Helga stood up.

" _W_ _ell._ It's been great, thanks so much for having me, Mr Shortmans- I really do appreciate it, Anna and I, but we really have to get going."

Arnold jumped up when she did.

"Oh, Helga, you don't have to leave so soon, I just-" "No, No, really, I must be heading out, I-" Helga was cut short by her own stomach.

She ran to the bathroom.

And hurled into the toilet.

Arnold was by her side in a second, tying her hair up and patting her back.

"Goddamnit." Helga wheezed in between barfing. "Why.... are you always so goddamn considerate?" 

Arnold chuckled tiredly. "Hey, I think anyone would at least be kind about a pregnant woman being sick."

Helga lurched upright.

"Alright, well, I really do have to get.. home...." Looking at Arnold's face, suddenly she didn't really want to go home.

The tiny, sick little voice in her head was just screaming at her to 'have more babies have more babies have more babies'

Helga sorta wanted to listen to that voice. 

Anna was having fun, why couldn't she steal Arnold for a little while? 

"Y'know.. I could stay for a little while more."

Arnold grinned.

Helga grabbed his hand and led him up to his childhood bedroom. 

She knew the way. Of course she did.

The room was more up to date then she'd remembered it last, and she pulled Arnold onto the bed.

Arnold was suddenly aware of their proximity.

"Helga?"

"Let's do it." "Helga!"

"What?" She asked. She was a grouchy pregnant lady. What was there to discuss? He was the dad. 

"I just, after last time... I can't believe we did that. I can't believe I messed it up so bad for you. I can't believe we didn't use any protection."

"Yeah, yeah, mister rational. C'mon. I'm waiting."

"Look. Helga. _What_ are we?"

He had found the question she'd been avoiding. Maybe, if they didn't ask, they could be comfortably... whatever they were.

She sighed and looked directly at him.

"I don't know. I'm some hookup that you did after a movie date and now i'm pregnant and you're the baby-daddy?"

Arnold glared at her.

"That isn't true though. You're also a childhood friend, one of my best friends, my enemy, my bully, my first crush-" "HOLD ON." Helga had gone from posing on Arnold's bed to sitting straight up.

"FIRST CRUSH??" She screeched.

"Yeahh?" Arnold stared at her as if it were obvious.

"What the FUCK?" Helga yelled.

Arnold shushed her. "Language, please, Helga."

"What about Ruth McDoogle or whatever her name was?" Helga spat angrily.

Arnold stared at her.

"Who?"

Helga gave him a death glare.

"Let me count the many crushes of the young football-head. Ruth McDougal, Ms Feltcher. Lila Sawyer. Rhonda Lloyd. Carrie Andrews. That Green eyed girl in San lorenzo-"

"Woah, woah, woah, you  _remember_ all these people?"

Helga stopped counting. 

"Um, yes? they were encroaching on my territory."

Arnold burst out laughing, but then abruptly stopped.

"No, you were my first crush. Back in preschool."

Helga let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

then she started to laugh. It turned hysterical as she breathed in and out, grasping her sides.

"Do.. You mean.. to tell me that all this time.. I've been in love my entire life with an idiot who's been in love with me.. for my entire life?"

Arnold, who was politely laughing along with her, stopped. 

"You're in love with me?"

Helga laughed harder. She may have looked borderline insane, but it felt so good to get it out. Everything was out.

"Obviously." She snorted.

Leaning back against Arnold's cool sheets, she stared up through the skylight. She paid no attention to the steadily-growing-redder-in-the-face young man sitting on the bed next to her feet.

Finally her laughter died down and she had to sneak a glance at him.

He was staring at her. He was just plain staring straight at her, and she snickered again at his face.

Flipping her body completely, she grabbed onto Arnold's plaid dress shirt. She took a chance and leaned against his body, pressing her lips against his. It was a bit of a mash but Arnold was every bit receptive as he latched onto her too.

She straddled him and he fell against the bed, giggling at her.

"What's so funny, Arnoldo?" She asked in a snide tone, as if she hadn't just been hysterically laughing at him a minute ago.

"I love you." He said, beaming at her.

She smirked. "I love you too, Football Head."

She leaned in to kiss him again and his hands somehow landed on her stomach.

"Wait- wait." Her stomach actually flipped- maybe he was changing his mind about this.

"Helga. Feel."

He took her hand in his and pressed her hand against her stomach.

Helga felt a flutter. and then another. and then a  _slam_ into the side of her belly.

It didn't matter because it was amazing. Her little baby was kicking for the first time.

Or punching. He was probably going to be a violent little kid.

Helga found tears springing to her eyes.

Arnold looked almost moved to tears himself.

She no longer wanted to just fuck him in this moment. This was a precious moment she would treasure.

She hugged him.

He had brought so much joy, so much hope into her life in the last 5 months.

He deserved everything good in this world.

She did give him a small eskimo kiss, her eyelashes fluttering against his forehead.

The door burst open and the two twenty year olds flew apart.

"And that, Girls, is what your uncle and my mom do when they think I'm not right in the other room."

Helga narrowed her eyes.

"Anna."

Lieu and Linh giggled. "My mom and dad do that too." Linh smiled at Arnold and Helga. "I hope i have someone someday that likes me as much as  _that."_

Helga felt a blush creep onto her face, and she looked over at Arnold, who was turning beet red.

Anna was pondering.

"Wait, so if Arnold and Helga are like your Uncle and Aunt, and Helga's my mom and Arnold's basically my step-dad, does that mean we're cousins?"

Lieu nodded resolutely. "Absolutely. No question. MOM! Anna is cousins with me and Linh now!" 

Their mom laughed from down the hall.

Helga almost cried again. Her daughter, without even realizing it, had called Arnold her step dad.

 **Arnold** sure realized it. Helga wasn't sure he could turn a deeper shade of the red he was currently in.

Grandpa Phil walked into the room chuckling.

"You two are sure loud. Everyone in the boarding house heard you."

That did not help cease Arnold's embarrassment. 

Phil changed the subject, seeing his grandson's discomfort.

"So, decided what to name the little fellow yet?"

Helga looked right at the man who had basically taken her under his wing those awkward teen years, given her good advice, and been like a ~~second~~ first home for her.

"How about..." She looked over at Arnold, who was back on her wavelength again.

"Phillip."

They both nodded. 

Phil cried out in joy.

"I knew you were a good egg, Helga! much better then that StELLa!" He called down the hall. "I love you, sweetie, Stella! Don't be mad at me and not cook dinner tomorrow."

Stella called back from the living room, "Yeah, Yeah, Phil. You love Arnold, don't pretend like it isn't a good name."

Arnold was considerably less red in the face now, and he chuckled at this scene.

"Phillip."

They shared a smile. This baby was going to be  _theirs._

Anna was on Helga in a second.

"Can i have a sleepover with Lieu and Linh tonight? mom? please? pretty please?"

Helga pretended to think it over.

"You have to ask Mai."

Mai called out, "You know you and your family is always welcome at my house, or my family's house, Helga."

Helga rolled her eyes.

She snuck a glance at Arnold.

He gave her a big cheesy thumbs up and a wide grin.

"Fine."

The three little girls ran out of the room laughing and screaming, Phil following them.

Helga stared lovingly after Anna.

"She hasn't made many friends in school. I think these are the first kids besides Martin she's really gotten to like."

Arnold smiled.

He motioned to her stomach area.

"Is he-" "He's still kicking up a storm." "Can i-" "You can honestly do whatever you want, at this point I'm too tired to care."

Arnold laughed, and put his hand on her stomach.

"Wow..." He breathed. "I'm a dad."

"This is just now getting to you?"

"Yeah."

"You dense moron." The words were cruel, but she said it in such an affectionate tone it was hard to tell what she meant. She leaned her head against Arnold and they sat back on Arnold's bed.

He held his hands around her baby,  _their baby,_ and Helga found a safety and security she hadn't felt in years. She hadn't ever really felt it, but right now, with her head nestled into the soft fabric of Arnold's shirt, his steady breathing in and out, his arms comfortably around her, she was convinced there was such a thing as a soulmate.

And Helga Pataki felt loved.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter coming soon!


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